Knockdown body for automobiles.



G. L. WEBER.

KNOCKDOWN BODY FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-M11916.

8 H 3 w "1mm r a, Pm M z w m e m m m 6 G G. L. WEBER.

KNOCKDOWN BODY FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 31, I916.

Patented Apr. 16,1918.

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a; n sanrns rarnn @FWQE eEoneE L. WEBER, or PHILADELPHIA, rEEnsYEv i Kuooxnown omr Eon AUTOMOBILES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. WEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Bodies for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

be readily assembled or erected to form the.

complete body upon the vehicle frame to which the body is to be applied. I a

The invention consists, therefore, in a plurality structed to form a substantially complete element going, when assembled with the re maining units, to form a rigid, substantial and practicable vehicle body in which the joints are well protected and arranged so as,

to be comparatively inconspicuous in the finished or assembled body.

The object of the invention is further to provide a series of units which are constructed to be easily assembled and interlocked with each other, and to provide a knockdown body for automobiles which may be assembled after shipment upon the usual or standard longitudinal sill members of the automobile.

With the above and other objects in view as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention consists in the construction, combination and details of the arts as will be more fully hereinafter described, and a preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the drawings-in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing a sill unit, the

' floor unit, the opposite side units, and the roof unit in detao ed position and ready to be assembled upon the sills of an automobile chassis, parts of these units being in section and parts in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the top unit.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

interlockin of units each designed and con- Patented Apr. s, was.

Application filed October 31, 1916. Serial No. 128,759.

Fig. 3 is a side-elevation from the outside of one of the side units. f

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the set of cross sills in erected position to which is applied the flooring, a portion of which is shown.

Fig. 5 is a @tailof the floor showing the notches to fit the uprights of the cross si 1 units.

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, on an enlarged scale, showing the assembled roof structure and an adjacent side portion.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a form of cross sill unit to form a body with flare boards.

A large number of motor vehicles now in use are adapted to be readily converted from one type of vehicle to another by the interchange or substitution of one body for another, and the'present invention has in view to provide a knock-down body which may be readily and substantially erected upon the longitudinal sills of the chassis of an autoembodiment of the invention a series of cross sills 2 are rovided as shown in Figs. -1 and 4, these being constructed of suitable material such for instance as channel iron, although it is understood that any other cross sectional form of iron may be employed. The cross sills 2 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 each comprises a substantially U- shaped form adapted to be fastened by bolts 3 or other suitable fastening means to the longitudinal sills A of the automobile, and when so erected are adapted toreceive and interlock with a floor unit 5, Fig. 1. This floor unit may be of any suitable and preferred form of construction, and as here illustrated consists of a number of strips laid edge to edge and riveted or otherwise secured transversely by cross cleats 6. While the floor unit 5' may be designed and constructed so as to fit Within the upright members of the cross sill 2 and fastened rigidly to the cross sills in suitable manner, in this instance the marginal longitudinal edges of the floor unit 5 are" notched as at 7 at suit- I opposite side able intervals in accordance with the longitudinal spacing of the erected cross sills 2 upon the automobile or truck body so that the uprights of thecross sills occupy a position in the notches 7 of the floor unit and thus prevent longitudinal or transverse shifting of the latter upon the sill structure.

The sides of the body may be of various forms and styles and proportions, and in the form illustrated in Fig. 1 the-sides of the body each consists of a unit having a longitudinally extending side panel 8 adapted to be laid up against the uprights of the U- shaped cross sills 2, and appropriatel secured to the latter so as to. form, in com ination with the bottom 5, when assembled upon the cross sills, atype of open body. If a covered body is desired the side panels 8 are each provided with a suitable number of standards or posts 9 which may be fastened to the side panels bybolts or rivets or otherwise as at 10, and to the upper ends of the posts 9 may be applied a top section or unit to be later described. The

upper ends of the posts 9 of each side unit are provided on their inner sides or faces with angle brackets 11, and along the outside faces of the posts there is extended longitudinally and adjacent to the upper ends of the posts a. top strip or panel 12 which, together with the brackets 11, may be rigidly secured to the posts 9 by bolts, rivets, or other means, as at 13. The top structure is formed in a; complete unit and comprises a series of suitably bowed cross ribs 15 overlaid by parallel roof slats 16 extending longitudinally, and this in turn is covered by a flexible sheeting of suitable material 17 such, for instance, as canvas, to form a water-tight structure for the top cover.

lit is one of the important objects of the present invention to provide for the neat and tight assemblage of the longitudinal edges of the roof unit upon the upper structure of the side units, including the posts 9, so that the line of joint of the edges of the roof or top to' the sides will be inconspicuous and form a rigid and substantial connection or bearing one upon the other. In the accomplishment of this object the upper edges of the top panels of the side units each projects slightly above the ends of the respective posts 9 and are beveled outwardly and downwardly as at 12 to fit snugly with the similarly beveled lower surface of longitudinal strips' 18 extending along the sides of the top unit and overlapping the downwardly turned edges of the covering sheet 17, Fig. 6. This form of joint between the longitudinal top strips 18 and the complementary longitudinal.-.top panels 12' of the side units not only forms a neat and snug joint between these longitudinal members, but also forms a tight and substantial bearing between these members. The top unit may be firmly secured in position upon messes the upper ends of the side units by the application of screws or other fastening means 19, Fig. 6, through brackets 11 and into the contiguous overlying cross ribs 15 of the top structure.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a knock-down, portable body structure consisting of a series of independent and complete units which when detached for storage or transportation may be compactly assembled into a comparatively small space so as to economize in storage room and transportation space, and each of the units when detached from the other assumes a substantially flat form thus enabling these members to be arranged or nested in snug relative position for safe handling in storage. The

parts may be readily assembled by erecting the cross sills 2 in their respective positions spaced longitudinally upon the main sills A of the automobile body, and the floor unit 5 may be placed upon the addition to being fastened thereto by the bolts 3, may, when provided with-the slots 7, be substantially interlocked with the cross sills to prevent relative movement of one to the other, and it is obvious that additional securing means in the form of bolts or screws may be utilized to fasten the floor unit 5 upon the erected sills 2. After the floor unit has been assembled the side units are positioned upon the floor and the posts 9 are disposed in the channels of the cross sills 2, these 00- operating' with the posts to rigidly reinforce and stifien the same. If said units comprising only the side panels 8 are employed, these latter are directly secured to the uprightlimbs of the cross sills 2. After-the side units have been assembled and fastened to the uprights from the sill members, as by means of bolts, screws, or otherwise, the top unit is then placed upon the upper ends of the erected side units with the longitudinal strips 18 resting upon the complementary edges of the toppanels 12, and are fastened in position against relative movement by the screws or other fastening elements 19.

. units of the structure may be varied and substitutions or alterations made within the scope of the invention and limits of the ac companying claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A knock-down vehicle body comprising ,a relatively flat top unit, a relatively flat bottom unit, ll-shaped cross sills adapted for connection to longitudinal sills, and relatively flat side units, each having posts erected sills and, in

to fit the cross sills, all said units adapted to be compactly assembled when knocked down. 7

2. A detachable, knock-down vehicle body structure comprising a set of cross sill members each having integral uprights of channel iron and adapted for detachable connection to the longitudinal sills of a vehicle, a floor unit consisting of rigidly assembled strips adapted to be secured upon the erected cross sills, and a pair of side units each comprising a lower side panel and side posts to fit in the upright and be secured thereto, adapted for detachable connection to the cross sill uprights.

3. A detachable knock-down vehicle body structure comprsing a set of U-shaped integral cross sills-of channel iron adapted to be secured to the main sills of a vehicle, an assembled or complete fioor' unit adapted to interlock with the erected cross sills, side units having posts to fit in and connectible to the spaced respective uprights of the erected cross sills, and a complete top unit connectiblo to the erected side posts.

4. A detachable, knock-down vehicle body comprising a set of cross sill units, each comprising an integral substantially U- shaped channel iron member, a floor unit having longitudinal edges provided with notches or recesses adapted to receive and interlock with the cross sills, and side units, including panelshaving posts, ada ted to be fitted in and fastened to the upright portions of the cross sill to form a complete assembled body.

5. In a knock-down vehicle body, a side unit comprising upright posts connected at their ends by upper and lower panels, a top unit having longitudinally curved side strips, said upper panel curved to fit the said strip, each of these members being beveled complementally, said top having ribs resting on thev top ends of the posts, braces for connecting the ribs to respective posts, and means for securing respective braces, posts and the top panel together, and upright channel members for receiving the posts.

6. A detachable, knock-down vehicle body structure comprising a set of cross sill members each having integral uprights of channel iron and adapted for detachable connection to the longitudinal sills of a vehicle, a floor unit consisting of rigidly assembled strips adapted to be secured upon the erected cross sills, and a pair of side units each comprising a loWer side panel and an upper side panel and side posts to fit in the uprights and be secured thereto, adapted for detachable connection to the cross sill uprights. I

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. WEBER. Witnesses WILLMM H. F. WARD, A. L. WARD. 

